Kurt Helin

The singing is so bad in this video that we almost feel bad bringing it to you. Almost. Below you can hear the Chicago Bulls sing their version of the “12 days of Christmas.” Sure they are not exactly vocal stylists, but in the holiday spirit of acceptance we will call them singers and thank…

Craig Smith is the veteran big man off the bench who does the dirty work for the Los Angeles Clippers so their kids can go flying around the court. Except Rhino won’t be doing that for the next couple weeks — he will be out due to a herniated disc in his back. He had…

The Suns now have a pretty good lineup of centers. Yes, the run-and-gun Suns. The team that always seems undersized. But now they have Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez on the roster. Sorry Earl Barron, that means you are a free agent again. The Suns just waived Barron, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona…

Much of the focus on Carmelo Anthony’s trade prospects has centered on whether Anthony would sign a contract extension to play wherever he was sent. But what if a contending team was willing to trade for him without caring about an extension? That is apparently happening (well, that or it’s a negotiating tactic). Sources told…

For every Gilbert Arenas given a second chance on a contending team, there is a guy shipped from a contender to a rebuilding team who has to make the best of it. Meet Rashard Lewis. The veteran stretch four has gone from being a starter on a strong playoff team to the veteran on a…

“I feel like his first game, boy, he might wet his pants ’cause he’s going to be so excited.” —Vince Carter, talking about teammate Marcin Gortat on KTAR in Phoenix (via Sports Radio Interviews). Gortat was just traded with Carter from the Orlando Magic to the Phoenix Suns, so he is going from limited minutes…

We are seriously considering just making this a daily feature on this blog. Because every night the Clippers’ Blake Griffin steps on the court some spectacular in-game dunk happens and we want you to see the video. But that is only three or four nights a week and this is a seven-day-a-week feature we’re considering.…

With Yao Ming out for the season, the Houston Rockets are requesting a disabled player exception that would allow them to bring in another player, the Houston Chronicle reports. The exception would allow the Rockets to trade for a player without matching salaries, but only up to the mid-level exception amount of $5.7 million. Theoretically…

Former NBA and current Louisville coach Rick Pitino agreed recently to spend three months this summer coaching the Puerto Rican national basketball team for free as they try to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. Now, according to multiple reports (via Sports by Brooks), Kentucky coach John Calipari may do the same thing for the Dominican.…

Rip Hamilton has seen his role dramatically change in Detroit. He was once the guy run off multiple screens every possession to get him a mid-range jumper. The heart of the offense. Now he most often a decoy who plays fewer minutes every month it seems. Now Ben Gordon is starting and Hamilton is coming…

Just how confusing and circular is the Carmelo Anthony trade situation? Take the two very different stories that broke Tuesday. On one hand you have Yahoo’s trade rumor machine Adrian Wojnarowski saying that the Nets and Nuggets are working on a complex multi-team deal which would bring Anthony and some other quality talent to the…

Shaquille O’Neal, classical music conductor. You can add that to the list that includes NBA center, All-Star, rapper, policeman and statue. As you can see from the video below (via the Boston Pops) Shaq did quite well conducting the holiday standard “Sleigh Ride” with the Pops. Because the orchestra really needed a conductor on this…

Connecticut State Attorney John Connelly is being investigated regarding his relationship with attorney Martin Minnella, with the theory that Minnella used his relationship with Connelly to get reduced sentences for his clients, according to the Hartford Courant. One of Minnella’s clients who saw his sentence reduced with an okay by Connelly is Keith Gomes, cousin…

Vince Carter has yet to suit up for the Phoenix Suns — and it could be a while before he does. Carter is considering having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, according to Paul Coro in the Arizona Republic. His left knee has bothered him all season and this would, in theory, clean up the…

Those of you getting an iPhone this Christmas… what took you so long? The cool kids have all had them for a couple years. And upgraded them three times. Whatever. Let’s move on to the important stuff — now we have a new way for you to have ProBasketballTalk and all the NBCSports blogs at…

The Pacers and the Hornets put on barn burners seemingly every time they get together, yet Monday night’s ending may be the best of the group. Danny Granger got the good look three for the win, and it went almost all the way down then spun back out, but it was nobody boxing out Mike…

What you missed while wondering what happens when architects play too much Tetris… Dallas beating the Heat again — hey, have another team meeting! — is our game of the night. Hawks 91, Magic 81: It’s going to take some time for the Magic to figure this all out. They started Jameer Nelson, Jason Richardson,…

The first time the Miami played Dallas back in November, the Heat players were still figuring it out. They seemed to be taking turns on offense more than working off each other, they were playing slow, it wasn’t outright confusion but they looked uncomfortable. But after winning a dozen in a row they were past…

Kurt Rambis was a power forward who did what power forwards of his generation were supposed to do — get in the paint, bang, get rebounds and do the dirty work. Now he is coaching Kevin Love, who is having a breakout season doing some dirty work like rebounding — and doing that better than…

The long-discussed NBA league purchase of the New Orleans Hornets got the final rubber stamp of approval when the Board of Governors — you know, the other owners, the ones footing the bill — agreed to purchase the team, the league announced today. It now falls to Jac Sperling to find a buyer while Hugh…

As of Monday night when the Wizards took on the Bobcats, rookie and franchise guy John Wall will have missed five of the last six for Washington. Don’t expect him back soon. What had been thought of as tendonitis (which coach Flip Saunders said could be chronic) he is also fighting through a bone bruise…

Last season, 26 games into the season, Dallas was 19-7 and it went on to a 55-win season. This season their offensive production is almost identical, but the Mavs look like a different, better team. One you might really be scared of come the playoffs. They are 21-5 heading into a showdown with a rejuvenated…

Remember how certain people were really hyping Tiago Splitter before the season as the big man the Spurs really needed to balance out the front line with Tim Duncan? Remember how people were saying he was going to be a difference maker for the Spurs this season? Okay, that was me. I admit it. And…

Even halfway around the world Steve Francis is a story when he steps on the basketball court… just not always for the reasons he would hope Francis is playing in China for Beijing and finally got into a game — except it was a surprise to everyone including Francis, according to niubball.com (via Ball Don’t…

Gilbert Arenas was a dichotomy in Washington — for a while he rekindled interest in what seemed a long-dead franchise. He could ball and he was entertaining. On the other hand there was the juvenile idiocy that led to the gun charges and suspension. Now he is sent off to try and resurrect his career…